


Remedy

by ZweIthePenguinwithaPen



Category: Shantae (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Rottytops - Freeform, Rottytops x Shantae, Shantae - Freeform, Shantae and Rotty enter a dance competition, Shantae x Rottytops, the Ammo and Squid Barons are briefly featured., the rest of the crew is around but mostly background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:37:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24540151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZweIthePenguinwithaPen/pseuds/ZweIthePenguinwithaPen
Summary: Shantae is looking for a partner for an upcoming dance competition, and she decides on Rottytops. She soon realizes she might like her zombie friend more than she realized. Shantae x Rottytops.
Relationships: Rottytops/Shantae (Shantae)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Remedy

**Author's Note:**

> So Shantae's new game dropped lately so I decided to finish this fic I've had bouncing around in my skull! This is the first Shantae work I've posted. Enjoy?

Shantae popped her hips in time with the music that flowed from Uncle Mimic's phonograph. It was hers, as he'd given it to her for her last birthday, but it was still one of his contraptions. This particular tune was uninspiring, but the beat kept her moving well enough. She still had yet to find herself a dance partner, and her options were running thin. Sheesh, why did it have to be a two-dancer competition?!

  
Sky was always busy with her warbirds, Bolo had two left feet and no rhythm to speak of, and Risky was off doing pirate stuff on the Great Sequin Sea. Shantae wondered what unfortunate port Risky and her Tinkerbats were terrorizing, grateful that it wasn't Scuttle Town.

  
Shantae wondered what Rottytops was up to, besides collecting body parts. Zombies had to keep lots of spare parts lying around, as you never know when something might just fall off...

  
If Shantae couldn't get ahold of Rotty, her last resort would be the Mayor! Scuttlebutt in a dancing competition would be a disaster, and Shantae would be laughed out of town! Criminy, even the Ammo Baron had found a partner already.

  
Shantae spotted a chit-chat spider in a nearby tree. She jotted down a note for Rottytops and gave it to the forest bug, but it simply scuttled over to her uncle's workshop. Shantae followed the bug there to find Rotty 'harassing' Sky. It was more like Sky was just complaining that Rottytops was in her vicinity.

  
"Hi, Shantae! Is your old uncle around? My dad sent me something he might like to see..." Sky asked her. Wrench let out a loud CAW from his perch on the blonde girl's shoulder. "Oh, your troublemaking green friend is looking for you!" Sky spat with a sneer. Rotty rolled her red eyes at the featherhead.

  
"Isn't disliking someone just because they're a zombie some sort of discrimination? If you're scared I'll eat your brain, don't worry! I can't eat something that doesn't exist..." Rotty sassed, waving her green hand back and forth as she snapped her fingers. Her hand twisted backward, so she snapped her wrist back into place. Shantae shuddered at the sound the mismatched bones made.

  
"Zombie or not, you've gotten my friend into trouble plenty of times!" Sky clapped back. The bird on her shoulder made a noise. Shantae hated that her friends were not friends.

  
"And I've helped her out of trouble nearly every time, Bird Brain! Anyway..." She turned her attention to the genie with the purple hair. "Hey, Snack Cakes! What'cha doin'?" She asked her friend, stretching the 'oo' sound out for as long as she could.

  
"Don't call me that with people around, Brain Breath!" Shantae retorted with a crooked grin. Rotty pouted at her friend's remark.

  
"But you're delicious!" She replied with a grin, producing a Flesh Pop and scarfing it down. "I came to town looking for spare parts, but it looks like everyone here is still breathing..." She petted the chit-chat spider as it crawled up onto her shoulder. She loved forest bugs, and spiders were her favorite. She would make a web joke, but she couldn't think of one. "So what's got you looking for me?"

  
"I need a partner for a dance competition. Would you be up to dancing with me?" Shantae asked politely. The green-haired zombie beamed at the idea.

  
"That sounds amazing, Shantae! I would love to... but I sort of have two left feet at the moment," Rotty confessed sheepishly. She stuck out her right leg to show Shantae. Just below the knee, there was a sharp twist where the incorrect joints connected. Her right leg ended with a left foot.

Shantae could not help but laugh. "Wow, you _literally_ have two left feet!"

  
"Yup, that's why I'm searching for spare parts!"

  
"Have you tried the Village of Lost Souls? The Mud Bog Island has loads of old bones..." Shantae suggested, grinning through the cringe she felt like making. Rottytops shook her head.

  
"I need a fresh stiff, Snack Cakes. Well, it needs skin at least. Abner can't make me a new leg with just bones.

  
"That makes sense..." Shantae muse. She didn't have much else to say.

  
"I'll be at your lighthouse once I'm a little more... _well put together_!" Rotty smirked at her joke, Shantae rolling her blue eyes.

  
' _You're plenty 'well put together' if you ask me._ ' Shantae kept her thought to herself. Dangerous as they could be, monster folk were usually cute. Shantae was all about Nagas and Mermaids, but zombies were cute too. At least, Rotty was adorable.

  
Rotty looked concerned, and Shantae realized she had not responded. "Are you thinking about Nagas again? You should ask Tuki out!"

  
"Tuki is dating a ScorpMan, Rotty. You should have some coffee." Shantae retorted in an attempt to shift the conversation to a subject other than her singleness. Rotty paid Shantae a compliment that she missed; She looked at Rotty's ceaselessly swinging hips and the world around her disappeared. The way Rottytops swayed always caught Shantae's full attention. Even Tuki's wiggles weren't this hypnotizing.

  
Wait... was she _seriously_ thinking that way?! About _**ROTTYTOPS**_?!?!?!?!?

  
"Anyway...: Shantae finally spoke. "Good luck with the leg stuff, Brain Breath!" She told Rotty with a grin.

  
"See you soon, Snack Cakes!" Rotty replied with a sideways smirk. The two girls left the workshop and parted ways. Shantae could not get Rottytops out of her mind after that. This dancing business would be interesting, to say the least.

\/\/\/\/\/

"That tears it! No more ice cream before bed!" Shantae complained aloud as she awoke with a start. "That was one crazy dream!" She mused, collecting her thoughts and remembering her dream.

  
Shantae and Rottytops had adventured all across Sequin Land, fighting monsters and collecting treasures.. and sleeping in the same sleeping bag? Rotty had even kissed her in the dream, giving Dream Shantae's chest a warm sensation.

  
Did that mean she liked Rotty that way? She caught herself looking at Rotty more often than anybody else. The green-haired lady zombie was definitely one of her favorite people... hmm.

  
Shantae had never kissed anyone like the kissing from her dream. She hadn't done much kissing at all. Maybe a friendly peck on the cheek or forehead sometimes, but this was _advanced_ kissing... like, on the lips and sometimes even necks and shoulders. Shantae blushed at the thought of it. Could she really kiss Rottytops in such a way?

  
Shantae put those thoughts aside for now. The dance competition was impending, and her phonograph kept skipping all her records. She figured she'd bring it to Uncle Mimic. He'd built it so he could probably fix it. She dressed herself and tied her hair into her signature ponytail before heading to Mimic's workshop. Seemed the old man was nowhere to be found yet again. His expeditions could last for days at a time.

  
Hmm, what would Shantae do now? Perhaps Sky could fix her machine. Sky and Wrench were quite handy when Wrench wasn't munching on Bolo's head. Sky liked Bolo, but Wrench was the only man for her. Guys didn't usually stick around the blonde and her birds for very long.

  
Not to mention the fact that Bolo was infatuated with Risky Boots. She could eat him for breakfast and feed his bones to her Tinkerbats and he would probably thank her for it. Wait, did Tinkerbats eat? They didn't seem to have mouths... Anyway, Shantae understood Bolo's reasoning; Risky was certainly beautiful to look at, even if she was rotten to the core. Also, Bolo was an idiot that would follow any girl with decent shapes to the edge of the world.

  
"These new hatchlings are gonna be crazy strong!" Sky bragged as Shantae found her. Wrench let loose a CAW in response. "Yep, they are _your_ kids, after all!" Sky told her favorite guy. Shantae wondered if Sky wasn't really a bird...

  
"Hey, Sky! Do you think you could fix my phonograph for me?" Shantae asked, presenting the busted machine. Sky pondered the device for a moment. Wrench bobbed up and down as he gave the machine a once-over from his perch of Sky's shoulder.

  
"I can try. Still can't catch your Uncle? Probably racing my dad to a new discovery again..." The blonde finally answered. Wrench SQUAWKed loudly in what Shantae figured was agreement. He almost always agreed with Sky, which was probably the main reason she kept him with her.

  
"How are your folks doing, anyway?" Shantae asked politely, soon silently wishing she had not. Her question led Sky into a rant about her dad's endless explorings and her mom constantly berating her. Shantae had to contain a laugh as Sky imitated her mom screeching 'Find yourself a husband!' Sky's parents were pretty silly. Sky wasn't even certain she liked men anymore.

  
After the Barracuda Joe incident, she hadn't tried her luck with any new men. The only guy that had ever stuck around her for long was Wrench. Shantae once again wondered if Sky wasn't actually a bird. Maybe she would transform into a bird to be with Wrench. Or perhaps he was really a man trapped in a bird's body who would magically transform from a kiss to become Sky's dream husband.

  
Sky took Wrench in her right hand and tightened a bolt on the music maker, the bird clamping his beak around the metal. Then the warbird crawled into the horn of the phonograph, returning shortly with a huge clump of salted caramel.

  
"Sheesh! How did _that_ get in there?!" Shantae exclaimed in shock. She couldn't stand salted caramel. Wrench loved it though, so that could be his payment. The genie girl cranked up her music machine, and the jams boomed through the horn. "JAMS! Thanks, you two!" Shantae told her best friend and her favorite bird. She stopped by the shop on the way home to grab some snacks.

  
As she returned to the lighthouse she saw Rottytops standing outside the door. Oh no, her feelings were rushing back to her mind. She would try not to be awkward, even though she wasn't sure how to tell Rotty about her feelings. Whatever, dancing first and feelings later. That was how Shantae usually dealt with things.

  
"Hey there, Tae! What's shaking?" Rotty greeted her, swinging her hips as she always did. Shantae tried diligently not to stare at Rotty's mesmerizing hips. "Ready to dance through the danger?"

  
"It's what I do best! Let's get it!" Shantae cheered as the two of them entered Shantae's home. Rotty sipped from a bottle of water.

  
"Check out my new leg, Snack Cakes!" Rotty bragged, poking her right leg out for Shantae to see. The purple-haired girl looked for a fraction of a second and nodded approvingly, congratulating her friend. She really hoped Rotty wasn't picking up any vibes. "So what kind of dance were you thinking of doing?"

  
"I've never really danced with a partner, so I was just going to do my belly dancing. I can teach you the steps." Shantae answered, popping her hips for good measure.

  
"Pop it for me, Purple Hair!" Rotty cheered. Shantae pouted. "It's a joke, Tae. I mean, I don't _mind_ if you pop it for me." She continued with a smirk. Shantae didn't have any words for that, so she set up her phonograph and fired up her favorite tune. She took her position and showed Rotty her dances. "Wait, I'm not gonna transform into an elephant, right?" Rotty asked. Shantae facepalmed.

  
"No, Brain Breath. Only I have the magic." She replied. That seemed to set Rottytops at ease. Rotty doubled Shantae's moves perfectly on the first try. "You're a natural, Greenie!"

  
"I try! So, we should probably do some dancing together, wouldn't you say?" Rotty grabbed Shantae's hand and spun her. Shantae had no time to react to the movement, much less the feelings, but she caught herself and returned the move. Rotty spun around twice and struck a pose at the end. She ran back to Shantae and started grinding against her, bouncing in time with the record.

  
Shantae's heart raced. She was dangerously close to Rottytops. She backed off, and Rotty pouted when she finally noticed. "Is there something wrong, Shantae?"

  
"Not at all, why?" Shantae answered. Nothing was wrong, even if something was different.

  
"You seem different. You're acting like you might be afraid to touch me." Rotty frowned. "You've never been scared of me, even when all your friends were terrified. What's different now? Did I do something bad?" It looked as though Rottytops might cry. Shantae couldn't bear to see her look that way.

  
"No, it's not you, Rotty. I'm the one that's different today." Shantae replied, reaching up to touch Rotty's forehead. "I have a small confession..."

  
"Oh? Did you kill someone because I needed spare parts?" Rotty asked, waiting for Shantae to grimace before laughing.

  
"Rotty, I'm being serious."

  
"Okay, Shantae. I'm all ears!" Rotty took her left ear off her head and put it next to Shantae's face. "Tell me your deepest desires, Genie!" Rotty was forever extra. It was one of Shantae's favorite things about her.

  
"I think... I think I like you, Rottytops. No, I know I like you." Shantae confessed, blushing ten shades of red. The zombie girl's green face turned bright purple at the words.

  
"As in you enjoy my company? Or... as in you want to kiss me?" Rotty blushed even brighter at her question. Her face was almost the color of Shantae's hair.

  
"I mean, I've always loved your company... but yes, I would like to kiss you. I had a dream about us having adventures, and we did a lot of kissing. So, would that be okay?" Both girls blushed even brighter. Shantae's face was now redder than her outfit. Rotty seemed to be thinking critically about this. What if she didn't like Shantae back? Did Rotty even like girls? Or humans, for that matter? What if she was only into zombies or monster guys or--

  
Rottytops's lips pressed against Shantae's lips for a long moment. Shantae's mind and body flooded with new feelings, many she could not explain if she talked about them all night. Before long Rotty pulled away, but Shantae pulled her back and kissed her more. When they finally pulled apart Shantae grinned for a second, then blushed ten shades of red.

  
"So do you like kissing me, too?" Rotty asked smoothly, even though she was blushing twenty shades of purple. Shantae nodded shyly, and Rotty took her hand, their fingers interlocking. "You like me? You think I'm pretty?"

  
"Yes, Rotty. You're beautiful. Your skin, your hair, the way your hips move... You're just so well put together." Shantae told her, the green girl blushing at her words. Rotty leaned in close to Shantae's ear to whisper something.

  
"Would you say that I'm... _drop-dead_ gorgeous?!" Rotty asked before bursting into laughter. Shantae whipped her hair at the window, which snapped open, and then whipped her hair at Rotty, knocking the zombie into several pieces that flew through the window and into the water. Shantae waited for a response after listening to the sloshing water for a moment.

  
"SHANTAE!!!" Rotty screamed. Shantae ran outside to see Rotty holding her head in one hand. "How could you do this to me?! You know I can't swim!!"

  
"Yes, and I also know you don't need to breathe! It's a zombie thing!" Shantae smirked. Rotty rolled her eyes before throwing her head onto the shore. Her body sprouted out of the ground beneath her head so she could pull herself together. "And you can do that, which is impressive." Shantae continued. She gave the pouty Rotty a forehead kiss, quickly moving down to her lips.

  
"You know, nobody's ever kissed me before today. It's a nice feeling." Rotty mused as she hugged Shantae tightly. Her hand grazed Shantae's rear. "Oops, sorry."

  
"It's okay. Just don't make a habit of it. Not yet, at least." Shantae winked at her. "So, does this mean we're girlfriends?"

  
"I can't very well say 'No' to a girl who kissed me like that and then saved my life... even if she did put me in the danger in the first place." Rotty quipped. Shantae rolled her eyes.

  
"Sweet, my first girlfriend is the cutest girl I've ever seen!" Shantae cheered, Rotty blushing again.

  
"Impossible! If you want to see the cutest girl there is to see, you should look in a mirror!" Rotty returned. It was Shantae's turn to blush now. The two of them walked back into the lighthouse to continue dancing.

  
\/\/\/\/\/

"I'm still not sure how I feel about you dating Coffeetime, but if she makes you happy then I won't complain about her... not all the time, at least!" Sky told Shantae on the morning of the dance competition. Shantae laughed at her feathery friend. Wrench made a cackling noise before he saw Bolo come in, then took wing with an ear-piercing SCREEEEEEEE and commenced chewing at Bolo's hair.

  
Sky restrained her wayward warbird and gently kissed the side of Bolo's head. Hearts formed in his eyes at that, but this happened every time a girl got anywhere close to him. A girl that wasn't Shantae, at least. She was 'one of the guys' to Bolo. He said that about everyone in their crew, but Shantae caught him looking at Sky all the time.

  
Was he wrong, though? Sky had legs for days, and the rest of her was easy on the eyes. Hopefully, someday Bolo would wise up and stop dreaming of Risky Boots and ask Sky out. Shantae couldn't say if she would accept, but the two of them would make a cute pair. Shantae set her shipping thoughts aside as Rotty walked through the door.

  
"Hey, Snack Cakes!" Shantae called, making Rotty's eyes turn to hearts. Sky chuckled and Bolo's mouth dropped open. His eyes went blank when Shantae and Rotty kissed.

  
"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!?! And why haven't we had a party to celebrate?" Bolo asked once his eyeballs returned to normal. It seemed he was on board, though he was miffed that nobody told him his favorite ship had set sail. "You guys never tell me anything."

  
"We've been busy gearing up for this dance-off! Sky's been tending her birds and you've been off fighting monsters and chasing mermaids!" Shantae reminded him. He nodded, remembering his misadventures with that blue-haired mergirl.

  
"She was gorgeous. A shame she was dating a ScorpGal, but that's my luck." Bolo thought aloud. The four of them left Shantae's lighthouse to pick up her Uncle who had finally returned to his workshop. He'd discovered some blueprints for a contraption called a bicycle and raved about building one for Shantae. Mimic always built the coolest things for his niece.

  
She didn't always have much use for them, but she loved all the cool gadgets he made.

  
The party of five arrived at the Scuttle Town Dance Hall. It was usually only open for business at night for dancers to make a few gems, but this competition was a special occasion. There were contestants and spectators from all across Sequin Land. Bog Sahagins, Eagle Warriors, Scorpion people, et cetera; they were all here to watch or perform. Shantae became a tad nervous at the size of the crowd.

  
That would pass, though, as it always did. The second she began dancing her worries would disappear. Dancing was her remedy.

  
"Aye, Genie! Yer goin' down today, you are! SPRAHH!" She heard a booming voice call out to her. She turned to see the Ammo Baron with his arm around a gorgeous Naga. "I's got me best broad with me, and she shakes like a dancing tree! KABLAM! The trophy's as good as mine!" The Naga grinned and hissed as she writhed and twisted.

  
"I doubt it, Muscle Cyclops! _I'm_ the star here!" Another voice challenged the massive man. The Squid Baron appeared to stare him down. "Hey there, Shantae! I hope you don't mind losing to me!" The supposed-to-be squid told her with a smirk upon his squishy face. Shantae wondered if there was an Octo Baron that actually looked like a squid since the Squid Baron looked more like an octopus. A Lizardman stood at the Squid Baron's side.

  
Several other usual side characters appeared to insist that they would be winning today's dance-off. Shantae didn't pay them any attention; she was too busy looking at Rottytop's shiny new legs. Abner had crafted her some amazing gams just for today, and he had certainly done a fantastic job. Rotty joked that Shantae couldn't keep her eyes off of them, turning her girlfriend's face the color of a tomato.

  
Shantae wore a variation of her usual getup that featured red rhinestones on the fabric. Rotty wore a similar getup, but her pants stopped at her knees and her rhinestones were green. She'd put a skull in the center of her top to match the gold ring in Shantae's. Rotty looked truly stunning, and Shantae would not let her forget it. She told the crew to take tons of pictures with Uncle's new cameras.

  
The time finally came for Shantae and Rotty to take the stage. They stood a few feet apart and began with some of Shantae's magic dances, each of them popping their hips at the other. Then they clasped hands and did some spinning. Shantae lost sight of the crowd and the other dancers. Only she and Rottytops existed, dipping and turning in an endless dance.

  
Just shy of halfway through their dance, a cannonball smashed through the ceiling of the dance hall. It crashed into the floor without hitting anyone, but the impact and the surprise made Rottytop's body fall apart. Shantae tried to pull herself and her girlfriend together, knowing that trouble would be in their faces in moments.

  
"RISKY BOOTS!!" Shantae shrieked as she and Rottytops stood back up, ready to brawl if the need came. Sure enough, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Seven Seas appeared as an anchor lowered into the building. " _What gives, Risky?_ " Shantae demanded. The purple-skinned Pirate Queen merely chortled at her.

  
"Just making a grand entrance, Genie Girl. I'm here for the competition. I got this bit approved by the owner, and I'll have my Tinkerbats fix it right up." Risky announced as a woman who looked almost identical to Risky appeared on the opposite arm of the anchor. She had grey skin, jet black hair and bright yellow eyes but elsewise was a dead ringer for the Queen of Pirates.

  
"Meet Tricky Kicks! She's a pirate lady I've been pillaging with lately, and her dance moves will shake this place apart and win me that trophy!" Risky bragged. Tricky cackled at Risky. She really did look just like Risky Boots. Shantae figured that made sense, seeing as Risky's favorite person was Risky. Tricky wore a black costume identical to Risky's purple pirate getup.

  
"Oh, well that's cool and all, I guess... but you busted in during my dance! You even made my girlfriend fall apart!" Shantae snapped back, whipping her ponytail with a fierce crack.

  
"She's a zombie! They do that a lot!" Risky replied before realizing what she'd just heard. "Wait... did you say ' _girlfriend_ '?"

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend! What of it?"

  
"Congratulations! You two are a cute couple!" Risky told her with a soft smile. Shantae couldn't remember ever seeing Risky smile this way. Her girlfriend must have calmed her spirits just a bit. Tricky was certainly beautiful.

  
"Oh... you too, Pirate Queen!" Shantae replied, at a loss for words at hearing Risky saying anything that wasn't a threat to her life or the safety of Scuttle Town. She looked up at the ceiling to see the Tinkerbats already hard at work filling in the hole that Risky's cannonball had left in its wake. She hoped Risky was still paying them well for all the work she thrust upon them.

  
Shantae and Rotty were allowed to restart their dance after Risky and Tricky performed theirs. Their song was a jaunty sea shanty, fitting for the two pirate women. Shantae and Rottytops danced to a zombie tune that Rotty had picked out. "Throw this record on your talking machine... and throw whatever you were playing before in the trash." Rotty had told her when she showed her the song the second time they had rehearsed, making Shantae laugh.

  
The judging finally came. Ammo Baron and his Naga lady took the third-place trophy while Risky and Tricky took home the second. The announcer drummed up the dramatic tension as they all waited to hear who won it all. The Bog Sahagin finally belted out the names Shantae and Rottytops! Their crew and everyone else cheered for them as they took their place on the pedestal. They kissed as they stood in the spotlight, gaining them even more cheers and hoots.

  
Not to be outdone, Risky and Tricky kissed as theatrically as possible, and Ammo Baron and his Naga girl fell off their pedestal while trying to kiss. Shantae and Rottytops paid them no attention since the judge brought the huge golden trophy to them. They held it high over their heads and heard even more cheering. Shantae and Rottytops had slain this competition, and now they were going home to slay some monsters in their dreams.

  
\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

**Author's Note:**

> Recommended Listening:  
> 'Remedy' by Little Boots  
> And pretty much any song from any Shantae game. They all have jams!
> 
> Sometimes I think Sky and Bolo would make a cute couple. Other times I think she's really a bird and Wrench is her man. Also 'Tricky Kicks' is basically the Risky Boots from the very first Shantae, with the grey skin, yellow eyes, black clothes and hair and whatnot. I mean, Risky's favorite person is Risky, right?


End file.
